Trade Union News

TORONTO, 19 July 2015 – Employees of the Crown Metal Packaging factory in Toronto have ratified a new collective agreement, ending a 22-month strike.

Members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9176 voted today to accept a six-year collective agreement with Crown. The return to work process will begin Aug. 10.

A tentative agreement was negotiated July 8 after the company withdrew one of the major impediments to a settlement – its attempt to bar many striking workers from returning to their jobs. The company had recruited replacement workers to operate the Toronto factory during the labour dispute.

Earlier this year, the Kunstmann brewery, part of Heineken Holding CCU began unilaterally to make changes to the machinery of the factory in Valdivia. Workers reminded the company that it cannot take these measures without consulting the trade union and the company in response dismissed the 15 percent of union members.

Moosehead Breweries Limited will be laying off about half of its hourly production staff in Saint John at the end of June 2015.

The approximately 70 layoffs at the west side brewery are the "direct result" of the loss of a major brewing and packaging contract with an international brewing company, president and chief executive officer Andrew Oland said on Thursday afternoon.

He declined to say which contract it was, citing confidentiality, but it represented about 40 per cent of the company's overall business for the past 10 years, he said

Nova Scotia's health care system is undergoing radical change by the provincial government. These changes include the government's decision to move from nine District Health Authorities to one provincial board and one board representing the IWK. As a part of this restructuring, the government plans to reduce the number of collective agreements it negotiates with health care unions by requiring bargaining in just four province-wide bargaining units

This is a Fund Raiser by UFCW Local 12R24. They have raise millions for Leukemia Research. Union members do more fund raising and supporting of charities than any other group. We need to start to tell the world who supports the people that governments have neglected. Great Job Rob Edwards and Local 12r24 !!

Quenching your thirst with a frosty can of brew this summer may be in jeopardy due to a seven-month strike at Toronto-based Crown Holdings. Unionized workers will be protesting in front of Labatt Brewery in London on Thursday (April 10) from 8 a.m. to noon.

According to a union representative, on Sept. 6, 120 members of USW Local 9176 at Crown Holdings were forced on strike. The labour dispute resulted from Crown Holdings trying to implement a new 2-Tier wage structure where new hires would permanently earn up to 42 percent less (up to $9/hour) for doing the same work as existing workers. Adding fuel to the union’s fire is the fact Crown’s income almost doubled to $557 million in 2012 from $282 million in 2011. The company, based in the United States, operates 149 plants in 41 countries, employing around 21,900 employees.

According to the United Steelworkers (USW) union, the ongoing strike—and the use of replacement workers—at Crown Holdings, Inc.’s plant in Toronto is causing headaches for beer makers Molson Coors and Labatt Brewing Co., as well as Canadian soft drink maker Cott Corp.

“We believe that using replacement workers is causing problems with quality control, shipment returns and failed efforts to operate the plant,” Lawrence Hay, a USW representative, said in a statement released by the union.

The union said beer makers are “particularly vulnerable” to potential supply disruptions as they head into the busy spring and summer season

ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, CANADA – Striking workers at the Labatt plant in St. John’s have voted to accept a new collective agreement, ending an eleven month strike. The workers are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE).

According to NAPE President Carol Furlong, the Union and the Employer, with assistance of a Conciliation Officer, have dedicated the past two months to trying to find a settlement to the ongoing dispute. “It was a difficult round of bargaining as was evident by the job action taken by the 45 employees,” said Furlong. “Ultimately, both parties were successful in finding resolutions to many complex issues during this round of collective bargaining

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